“He saw that there was no man,
And wondered that there was no intercessor” (Isaiah 59:16a)
“So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one” (Ezekiel 22:30)
Intercede, from the Latin, Intercedere—made up from two words, “inter” meaning “to go” and “cedere” meaning “between”. Together it means “to go between”—intercede!
Where are those who must go between a Holy God and a sinful man, or rescue from an evil situation?
It has always amazed me that when God wanted, expected, searched for, waited on an intercessor, He could not find one! Oh, there may have been those who spoke of prayer; read books on prayer, perhaps even spend time telling God what He needed to do, or simply giving God the latest NEWS report . . . alas, no intercessor!
I have been in too many American churches during their times of “Worship,” and I am always amazed and disappointed that there is no time of intercession in Worship! Mostly short, well thought out or written, programmed, selfish pastoral praying is offered. On occasion, there may be that short, memorized prayer that a deacon has shared every time he is called on to pray (half the congregation can mouth the prayer along with him as they are so used to hearing it).
Beloved, Worship and Intercession (intervention) MUST go together, the one is impossible without the other. Intercession means that we stir ourselves up to find the mind of Christ about the one(s), or situations, of which we pray.
Pastor, Church, intercession from repentant, Spirit-filled, believers is what this country and the world needs. If you want to find your true believers and grow others by example, insert equal time (as the Spirit guides) for intercession as you do for your message, and program this just before you speak . . . you will do better in the message. Beloved Church, Pray On!